This invention relates to a navigation apparatus which is used in a state where it is carried by a user or where it is mounted on a mobile object, for example, a vehicle.
The official gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 16992/1996, for example, discloses a navigation apparatus which is mounted on a vehicle as a route information display apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 15, the navigation apparatus comprises a reception device (positioning device) 1 which receives an electric wave from a GPS satellite and outputs the positional data of the current location, a read device 3 which reads map data from a map information storage medium 2 such as CD-ROM, a buffer memory 4 in which the map data is stored, a displaying image memory 5 in which image data forming the bases of depiction patterns to be stated below are held stored, a display controller 7 which causes a display device 6, such as CRT or LCD, to display the depiction pattern corresponding to the map data by the use of the image data of the displaying image memory 5, and a control device 8, such as microcomputer, which controls the whole system, wherein the content of the displaying image memory 5 is updated in accordance with the change of the current position, and the display on the display device 6 is also changed accordingly. Incidentally, an input device 9, such as keyboard, which enables a user, such as driver, to perform various operations such as setting a starting location and a destination location and recording drive data is connected to the control device 8.
Besides, the official gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5721/1996 discloses an apparatus in which another buffer memory 4a is prepared, and map data different from that of the buffer memory 4 is copied, whereby a route selection spot, for example, an intersection having come near ahead is displayed in detail (for example, on enlarged scale) by the display device 6, so as to indicate a running direction.
In setting any desired spot as a set location in the navigation apparatus of this type, there are the construction (the former) wherein the spot is sought on a map and is set as explained above, and also a construction (the latter) wherein, as disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 257988/1999, the spot is set by inputting the values of xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d being terrestrial coordinate information as are introduced by various media such as magazines, television broadcasting and Internet sites.
The former is effective in case where the place of the set location is known, but the latter is employed in a case where only the coordinate information items are available.
The present invention has for its object to provide a navigation apparatus which realizes the facility of operations in setting the set location with the coordinate information.
Besides, in case of displaying the coordinate information, it is necessary for displaying the xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d to prepare a design which expresses the xe2x80x9cnorth latitudexe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9csouth latitudexe2x80x9d, and a design which consists of, at least, two-digit numeral expressive of the value of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d and two-digit numeral expressive of the value of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d, while it is necessary for displaying the xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d to prepare a design which expresses the xe2x80x9ceast longitudexe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9cwest longitudexe2x80x9d, and a design which consists of, at least, three-digit numeral expressive of the value of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d and two-digit numeral expressive of the value of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d.
To prepare all of such designs within the display space of the identical display device 6 is liable to deteriorate in visibility because the size of each of the designs is liable to be limited and to become small. To the contrary, to set the size of each of the designs at a sufficient size in consideration of the visibility is unfavorable because a proportion for the coordinate information in the display space is increased to impose restrictions on the other displays.
The present invention has for its object to provide a navigation apparatus in which, in displaying the coordinate information, designs for the other displays are used in common, whereby a good visibility of the designs for the display of the coordinate information is ensured with the proportion of these designs suppressed.
In order to accomplish the objects, as defined in claim 1, the navigation apparatus of the present invention consists in a navigation apparatus wherein xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d are used as coordinate information on a set location, characterized by comprising a display device which includes a design for numerically displaying values of, at least, xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d of each of the xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d, an input device which sets the values by employing the design of said display device, a storage device which stores therein the coordinate information on the set location, and a control device by which, in a case where the display of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d by said design of said display device has been validated at a predetermined value by operating said input device, the display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d by said design of said display device is automatically changed to a preset value, and by which, when said display of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d by said design of said display device has been validated at the predetermined value by said input device, said display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d by said design of the display device is validated at said preset value, and the respective values are stored in said storage device as said coordinate information on said set location.
Besides, as defined in claim 2, the navigation apparatus of the present invention consists in a navigation apparatus wherein xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d are used as coordinate information on a set location, characterized by comprising a display device which includes a design for numerically displaying values of, at least, xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d of each of the xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d, an input device which sets the values by employing the design of said display device, a storage device which stores therein the coordinate information on the set location, and a control device by which, in a case where the display of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d by said design of said display device has been inputted as a predetermined value by operating said input device, the display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d by said design of said display device is automatically changed to a preset value, and by which, when said display of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d by said design of said display device has been validated at the predetermined value by said input device, said display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d by said design of the display device is validated at said preset value, and the respective values are stored in said storage device as said coordinate information on said set location.
Especially, in claim 1 or claim 2, as defined in claim 3, the navigation apparatus is characterized in that said predetermined value is xe2x80x9c90xe2x80x9d for said xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9c180xe2x80x9d for said xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d, while said preset value is xe2x80x9c00xe2x80x9d for both said xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and said xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d.
Besides, as defined in claim 4, the navigation apparatus of the present invention consists in a navigation apparatus wherein xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d are used as coordinate information on a set location, characterized by comprising a display device which includes a design for numerically displaying values of, at least, xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d of each of the xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d, an input device which sets the values by employing the design of said display device, a storage device which stores therein the coordinate information on the set location, and a control device by which, in a case where the display of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d by said design of said display device has been inputted as or validated at a predetermined value having xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d as a value of a lowermost digit by operating said input device, the display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d by said design of said display device is automatically changed to xe2x80x9c00xe2x80x9d, and by which, when said display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d has been validated at a desired value by said input device, the respective values are stored in said storage device as said coordinate information on said set location. Besides, as defined in claim 5, the navigation apparatus of the present invention consists in a navigation apparatus wherein xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d are used as coordinate information on a set location, characterized by comprising a positioning device which measures a current position of a mobile object, an input device which sets the set location, a storage device which stores therein the coordinate information on said set location, a display device which includes an azimuth display area for displaying an azimuthal direction in accordance with an azimuth signal, and a distance display area for numerically displaying a movement distance and values of, at least, xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d of the xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d, and a control device which obtains said azimuthal direction of said set location on the basis of signals from said positioning device and said input device and then outputs said azimuth signal; which calculates a distance between the current position and said set location and then outputs a distance signal, by which, in a case where the display of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d on said display device has been inputted as or validated at a predetermined value by operating said input device, the display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d on said display device is automatically changed to a preset value, and by which, when said display of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d on said display device has been validated at the predetermined value by said input device, said display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d on said display device is validated at the preset value, and the respective values are stored in said storage device as said coordinate information on said set location.
Besides, as defined in claim 6, the navigation apparatus of the present invention consists in a navigation apparatus wherein xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d are used as coordinate information on a set location, characterized by comprising a positioning device which measures a current position of a mobile object, an input device which sets the set location, a storage device which stores therein the coordinate information on said set location, a display device which includes an azimuth display area having a plurality of azimuth indication patterns arranged radiately so that an outer edge defined by their tips may form a circle or a circular arc, so as to display an azimuthal direction in accordance with an azimuth signal, and a distance display area for numerically displaying a movement distance and values of, at least, xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d of the xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d, and a control device which obtains the azimuthal direction of said set location on the basis of signals from said positioning device and said input device and then outputs the azimuth signal, which calculates a distance between the current position and said set location and then outputs a distance signal, by which, in a case where the display of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d on said display device has been inputted as or validated at a predetermined value by operating said input device, the display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d on said display device is automatically changed to a preset value, and by which, when said display of xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d on said display device has been validated at the predetermined value by said input device, said display of xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d on said display device is validated at the preset value, and the respective values are stored in said storage device as said coordinate information on said set location.
Especially, in claim 5 or claim 6, as defined in claim 7, the navigation apparatus is characterized in that said display device includes designs by which, in a case where the xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d of said xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d are being displayed in the distance display area, the azimuth display area presents a display for indicating the xe2x80x9cnorth latitudexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9csouth latitudexe2x80x9d of said xe2x80x9clatitudexe2x80x9d, while in a case where the xe2x80x9cdegreesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cminutesxe2x80x9d of said xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d are being displayed in said distance display area, said azimuth display area presents a display for indicating the xe2x80x9ceast longitudexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cwest longitudexe2x80x9d of said xe2x80x9clongitudexe2x80x9d.